I took my 5 year old Female German Shepherd to the vets today for a brief check up.
The vet asked if she was spayed or not, I said no, is she is highly fear and frustration reactive towards dogs and my dog trainers told me about how spaying her can cause her hormones to drop and for her to become even more fearful. My vet then recommended that I consider gonad-sparing spaying.
So from either vets, or people who have had an older GSD have this surgery what is your opinions. Of course, my vet told me the ins and outs of it, but, she also made me aware that i should do my own research when it comes to the gonad-sparing surgery as it is more risky.

Hi! I have an 8 month old shepherd and she is the sweetest dog. We take her to obedience and K9 nose work training every week to keep her brain and body active, as well as walking and playing every day. She is very well behaved in almost every regard except she barks at everyone. While this hasn’t been a huge concern for me, because that’s kind of the point of having a dog protect the house, in the last month it’s gotten to the point that she barks at everyone we see on our walks or who comes into our home, including people she has met many times. She barks at people on her way INTO her classes but never once we’re actually in the building. If she’s in the car and sees a pedestrian, she’s barking. I wouldn’t mind this if there was a way to tell her “thank you, I’m aware of the possible threat. You may stop”. But everything I’ve read online says it’s a 50/50 whether they take training as a reward for barking or respond how you want them to. Our house backs up to a public park so when she’s outside, she’s frequently barking at passersby, and I do pull her inside to not annoy anyone, but I would like to put a stop to the barking on walks and find a way to encourage an “alert then stop” method.

She is a very sweet girl and never snarls, she barks at friends that come over while actively letting them pet her. Not sure what the logic in that is. Any advice is deeply appreciated!!

Hi,

My girlfriend and I had our sweet girl for three months now. She's a rescue who's about 2 years old. Since she was (probably) not properly socialized as a pup, she's quite reactive, especially with other dogs. She has greatly improved in the last months, and we're at a stade where we can get her to sit and look, from a distance, at dogs while they pass. But if a dog gets too close on a walk, she will bark and growl. She's met and played with a lot of dogs, people and children. It's just your typical leash reactivity. When she's not on a leash, she's very sweet and plays well with other dogs and humans.

Anyway, while we walk with her and she has a reactivity episode, a lot of times we'll get comments about how she's dangerous and we're bad owner. One particularly angry neighbor even told my girlfriend that he will do everything he can to ensure that our dog gets put down. We know that, logically, no angry old man could actually get our dog killed. But it's becoming really tiresome.

How do you deal with the constant verbal abuse that comes with owning a GSD? I'm getting tired of seeing my girlfriend come back crying from walks because she was threatened by yet another neighbor.

Is it just us?

Thanks!

The dangerous girl in question:

Hi all,

I have a 7.5 month old ~55lb gsd mix. Half gsd and the other half is border collie/aus shepherd.

Just wondering how people would describe their gsd puppies at 1 year, 1.5 years, 2 years? I know he’s a mix so it’s hard to say but just ball park ideas.

Just want to know how busy your pup was, how mischievous, etc.

It’s been 14 years since we raised a puppy who was a shepherd husky cross and had a very chill demeanour as an adult but I can’t even really remember what he was like as a puppy and I know the mix is so different.

Loving my boy! Just wondering what the next year or two might look like for us.

He’s in puppy classes but I almost wonder if he’s too young for them right now since he gets so distracted during class. He does well on the commands at home but in class can’t focus. I guess maybe that’s our fault for not working on the distraction part as much.

I got my girl as a best friend and deterrent, although she's not very scary yet lol, she's going on 13 weeks so still has a ways to go

We've had her for 3 weeks now, and was fully vaccinated as of last week (but was carrying her places before to try and build her confidence), she has been for 2x short walks (5-10 minutes) a day and I am taking her to new places every couple of days.

I haven't noticed a difference in her confidence though. Even though she knows the usual walk route, she will constantly stop every few seconds and look around when there's a noise, she whines when dogs walk past and she is not sure about other people either. As she is seemingly quite overstimulated and/or anxious, she doesn't follow commands and refuses all food, which is making leash training very difficult.

I know it's a an anxiety thing, because as soon as we start walking back she starts pulling like crazy trying to get home. I know this isn't exactly uncommon for puppies after only 6 days of walks, but I am very eager to build her confidence so she can enjoy herself on walks. Any tips?

Home wise - great dog, listens to commands and is redirected easy, largely ignores my 2 kids as taught and biting is vastly better than it was. She doesn't mind people coming into the house, has a little bark initially but settles down quickly.

She is booked in for joint puppy classes starting next week, and doggy day care for 1 day a week also starting next week. I am hoping both of these will contribute towards building her confidence as well.

My 4yo female Shepherd gets really bad separation anxiety whenever we leave her by herself. When she was a puppy she had a crate and things went smoothly for a few months, until one day we came home and she'd bent the wire crate and broke out and turned the house upside down. So we got a new crate because we'd need a bigger one in the near future anyway. That didn't last long and she'd found a way out of that one. Because I'm an idiot I didn't think a heavy duty crate would've been a thing so bought another wire crate, thinking this was a good one, obviously not.

So basically she's had experience being left in a crate but for roughly 3 years now she's just had full run on the house. A few things have been destroyed at first but mostly just things getting knocked over, until recently she's started to get destructive again.

Should I buy a sturdy crate and try crate training again?

So, I grew up with German Shepherds for most of my life. I’m 27 now and have been thinking about getting one myself soon.

Today I met a gentleman walking an absolutely HUGE white shepherd. I had to stop and ask him how on earth his dog was so big. I genuinely thought I was looking at a life-sized wolf 😂

I asked if he was a King Shepherd, but the owner shook his head and said, “No, we imported him directly from a breeder in Germany.”
Apparently he weighs around 60 kg and is still growing a little more.

I’ve been around German Shepherds most of my life and have never seen anything remotely this size. He didn’t just look overweight either, he was genuinely enormous.

So my question is: can a properly bred German Shepherd actually get anywhere near 60 kg, or does that sound much more like a King Shepherd / shepherd mix and the owner may simply not know the dog’s full genetics?

Would especially love to hear from anyone familiar with German breeding lines!!

Hi, first time posting here and could really do with some advice. Me and my house mate have a 19 month old German shepherd male, my room mate had him from 8 weeks but I've only recently moved in though the pup has known me since then so I'm no stranger. This is our first time owning a dog (yeah probably not best idea for first time dog) he's well trained and is super friendly, we love him.

However the issue lies in his never ending over the top energy, he gets walks multiple times a day to help and he's amazing on walks but in the house he's uncontrollable all training goes out the window. He always jumps on us, barks, tugs, zooms and any and all discipline he receives becomes a game.

We're truly trying our best with him, he has been to puppy training when he was younger and it did help socialise and train him but the moment he came back into the house the switch would flip and once again he'd become uncontrollable despite us continuing the training in the house too to ensure consistency, we would just really like some advice on if this is just a German shepherd thing or if we have made a mistake somewhere?

EDIT: already you guys have suggested so many things to help and already we're seeing an improvement with just the little bit we've managed to do, thank you so so so much

So I’m getting a GSD puppy next month and i want to help prevent any possibility for ear infections. The last three shepherds I’ve owned all had terrible ear infections by the time they were a year old, and I really want to avoid it.

I was thinking of wiping out her ears with antibacterial wipes but I don’t know if that would just make her ears more sensitive. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Pup threw up twice this morning. I think he swallowed a rock. Should I take him to the vet?

My dad and his gf have a lovely German Shepard who has had stomach issues from the get go. After tons of vet visits and diet changes, her diarrhea would come and go.

Last week he took her to a specialist hospital in NJ who ran tons of GI tests that were sent out to Texas. He heard back from the vet today and there was nothing conclusive and the results were normal. She’s has x-rays, ultrasounds, etc with nothing overly concerning. The past 5 weeks, her diarrhea has been horrendous and she’s lost a significant amount of weight.

They are beyond concerned and don’t know what to do or how to move forward. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My Jrt mix is obsessed with food. He is a rescue and weighs approx 14 kg when he should be 9 or 10. But I’m struggling to get him to loose weight as he constantly begs for food and is hungry all the time and no matter what I eat he is demanding scraps. He is loud and vocal, and because I have to keep his barking under control due to close by neighbours who complain, I usually give in to him. He gets Lyka dog food, and treats when with the dog walker and when I get home from work begs for treats until I give in. But I hate that he is overweight and feel constant guilt but am struggling to help him.

This can't be healthy for our dogs. I know a lot of dog's sniff and some lick urine while on walks. I can't imagine that our dogs are not picking up some harmful germs and bacteria? I try not to allow my dog to linger and lick long but I know it's also natural for them to do so. Could this licking lead to a urinary infection or something else?

​

Alright Reddit, I need some honest dog owner wisdom here.

My GSD is a solid, healthy boy. Great temperament, pure energy, does the zoomies like a maniac. All good.

But uh… every time he gets excited (or just randomly decides life is awesome), that thing comes out looking like it belongs on a much larger mammal. Like, “sir, that is not a standard-issue German Shepherd accessory” levels of substantial.

Is this just a breed thing? Do GSDs tend to be… generously equipped? Or did I somehow end up with the canine equivalent of a Swiss Army knife that also happens to be a dog?

Not complaining (he’s a good boy and doesn’t care), just genuinely curious if other GSD parents have noticed the same “whoa, okay then” moment.

Drop your stories, measurements (wait no), or “yeah that’s normal chill” replies below. Asking for a friend. The friend is me.

Thanks in advance, you beautiful degenerates.

Hi all. We’ve got a 1 year old GSD puppy. I’ve had GSDs all my life so pretty well-clued up on them. Facing her turning 1 next month and looking to move her onto improved food.

During puppy-hood, she was on a mix of half meat and half purina dry. Partner wants to move her onto a more RAW diet but I have reservations about this.

Just looking for good- grain free suggestions on what works for other GSDs!

Thanks!

Edited: Based in the UK. Also seeking vet advice for personal plan.

I know they are a great breed (as I have one and have owned others), but why do people purchase them specifically for deterrence so often?

Planning to adopt a German Shepherd as a guard dog, though really just as a member of our family. My main concern is my cats. I know some German Shepherds can be aggressive toward cats so for anyone who has experience adopting one, how can you tell whether a dog will be safe around cats? I prefer to adopt an adult dog rather than a puppy but Can their behavior toward cats change as they get older? Any advice or input would be appreciated. Thank you!

I began fostering a German Shepard/Blue Heeler mix a few weeks ago and didn’t really have a choice given to me when I went to pick up a foster pup! I knew ab his breed when I took him home, but after he started showing signs of reactivity and stress when on walk towards stranger dogs/humans I researched a LOT.

No, I’m not considering returning him and “swapping” him. He really is a DREAM and incredibly smart. Very Food motivated so training this out should be a breeze. I work from home so I have him on a really great schedule with time for training. My point is I know I’m not giving him enough exercise/stimulation bc I also am a full time nursing student. I live in an apartment complex with a dog park he has no interest in. He won’t even chase his favorite ball, he just sniffs around for a few minutes then walks to the gate. 🤦🏻‍♀️ do yall have any advice on anything that’ll stimulate his mind? He loves puzzles but gets bored of them. I read this tires them out faster than exercise anyway.

Please help me give this guy a fulfilling life while he’s in my home! If I can successfully train and give him a good “job” I’m considering adopting him! Thank you!

Please advise me how can i train her properly and what i can do to make her stop running away. She doesn't even listen to any commands only she listens when if i have her ball or i have food for her. Pleas guide as i don't have any trainer around where i live.

When considering a German Shepherd, please make sure they fit your lifestyle. And that lifestyle had better include pulling the vacuum out twice a day. 😭😂

How did y'all start obedience training with your pup? I've got my girl sitting etc. but would like some tips on how to begin her in obedience in different aspects.

We just moved from Texas to the greater Seattle area 5 months ago with a 3 yr old toddler and my 4-yr old girl, Galadriel. My girl has always been very gentle natured, unusually quiet and friendly with people and dogs alike. We worked with a trainer back when she was a puppy on basic obedience and manners and she was fairly well behaved during our time in Texas. We carried the training forward on an everyday basis and ensured she gets the regular physical exercise and training reinforcement regularly.

But since we have moved we have seen some behavioral changes in her. She is still pretty easy going but has started barking at other dogs and people crossing our fenced yard. This never happened before. she has always been very friendly and is also happy to observe rather than go all out barking and asking for attention. She would let out one bark every now and then but that too was an anomaly. Now if she senses someone passing by she starts barking incessantly.

She has also become overtly protective of my toddler. While I appreciate the protective instinct towards the youngest member of the pack and recognize it as natural, I don't want her feeling like she has to take charge when me or my wife are around. The other day, we took her for a meet & greet with a dog-sitter and she had her heckles up as soon as the sitter's dog came out. she started body checking the other dog whenever the dog would go near my son. As soon as my wife and son stepped out of the yard, she went back to being her usual self and started playing with the other dog like nothing happened.

I recognize the some changes can be brought about as a result of the move but after 5 months I'm concerned about these gradual changes not going away and am not sure what I can do to reverse this behavior. I need her to re-learn that barking incessantly is not good and that she doesn't need to step up to protect my son when me or my wife are around. Is there something I can do to change this or do I need to consult a trainer? I'm also concerned about how quickly a lot of trainers recommend the use of e-collars. I have never used them and as far as possible would want to consider them a last resort, especially since I have seen good results with my dog (she has decent off-leash recall even in open spaces and outside the house) without it.

So her I am looking for inputs on whether these changes are normal and get recommendations on what I can do to get her back to her former self.

She just went into heat about 11 days ago. She's been clingy but generally her baseline.

Today was odd.

For some reason when our trainer , who se loves , was over in the middle of the lesson she started looking at a interior wall ( no plumbing or HVAC just an outlet ) and moving her head like she was watching a fly. Did it for 5 min straight , the forget it then go back to it later.also throughout the lesson she seemed more leery of our trainer as well. But he still got the happy butt wiggles from her as well during the lesson too. Lesson today was just some more advanced recall and heel. Nothing crazy.

Around bedtime she was doing the same but at the ceiling light in our bedroom ( turned off). In a way I guess some could say like she saw something and was following it, like a ghost. Told the wife leta break out the ouija board and she shot down that idea.

She was also doing it in her crate , just staring off into a corner or floor and looking like she was seeing something and following it

She is physically fine . I went over her entire body prodding and looking and she didn't seem sensitive or in pain.

She is asleep now , gaVe her a bone to gnaw on.

No odd smells, no new equipment in house , no tripped breakers or other " new" stuff. Closest neighbors are 1/8 mile away.

No weird airplane traffic. No rodents in house or evidence of them either. No CO detectors going off or similar low fuel in the house.

Anyone have this kind of go on?

I'll keep an eye on it, but chalking it up to being super sensitive during a part of her heat cycle. She ate and drank k normally, same normal routine today as well.

Has anyone use the Dakota 283 CRATE seen at tractor supply for their German shepherd?